Question: What would be the effect of undiagnosed childhood voluntary chronic urinary retention (avoidance of diurnal school bathroom use) on childhood growth and development; specifically height; finger length and distal phallange width, foot growth; kidney growth, development of sexual organs, and intensity and duration of puberty

Are you sure that voluntary urinary retention (think shy bladder or pareuresis) would lead to bladder or kidney infections? Is it possible that the infections would go undetected or that the condition could lead instead to mild hydronehrosis, renal insufissiance, and or perihial edema with adverse effects on childhood growth and development outlined above?

But can a repeated obstruction such as phychogenic urinary retention cause all of the conditions I listed even without causing a UTI? Could it be that such a condition is not detected; yet it causes the above conditions. The only symptoms would be the above conditions I mentioned ; symptoms which might go undetected?

I give you a weblink of an article that might help you understand.

https://sciencescape.org/paper/0000

So the above could have happened? Would there be renal scarring? So according to the article the girls did not really have any symptoms?

How could I find out if the above happened to me? I had a shy bladder from age 6 to 11. I did not urinated during the entire school day almost everyday. I would always wait until I got home. I suffered from the above symptoms to some extent. For example the lower two parts of my fingers are quite a bit narrower than the upper part of the finger. Could chronic periphial swelling during childhood cause this; a swelling caused by fluid retention due to Urinary Retention? I know at age 5 my hands were not swollen because I have a picture.
When I was 6 I was at the 50% for height. At 6 years 7 months I was 47 inches tall. I was average weight. I noticed swollen hands in photo starting around 8 to 9 years old.
At age 10.5 I Was only 54 inches tall. I was quite chubby. Almost obese.
By age 11 or 12 I was still very chubby. I kind of think the kidneys were not really growing much since I was 6 and finally a chronic renal insufficiency developed and became worse; so my growth slowed down and I became almost obese; COULD THIS BE due to renal insufficiency?

At age 11 (1986)My mom took me to a doctor to see about growth hormone so concerned she was. They told me it would delay my puberty so I somehow convinced them not to give it to me.

I think my dad did not say much because he was only 65.5 inches; but he grew up not eating meat or protein (Hindu) so I believe his genetic height was quite a taller. My mom was 5 2 3/4 tall. Her dad was 5 11. Her brother were 5 10 and 5 7; her sisters were 5 8; 5 5 and 5 4. My dad still thinks to this date that my height if for genetic reasons and that is what he thought then which is perhaps why no additional tests were ordered. I don't think he understands that you canot compare a strict vegetarian North XXXXXXX diet from 1950 to a North XXXXXXX diet of the 80's. As a young kid I was only 8 inches or so shorter than my brother who is exactly 4 years older than me.

By age 13.8 months I was 63 inches tall. But then I guess I stopped growing around age 16; I only grew to 67.5 inches tall. He is 69 today; he did not eat a lot of food as a child and often skipped meals. Based on being only 8 inches shorter then him a child (me 6 ; him 10 years of age) I kind of concluded I was supposed to be taller than him. Even at age 13.5 ; I was 63; and he was 68. This indicates I should have grown taller. I remember he went away to military service and when he came back I was expecting to be taller then him ; but I wasn't. It is like either the oestrogen from being chubby or a lack of testosterone caused my bone age to advance and my growth spurt to stop. Is this possible?

My feet and hands are smaller than both my brother and my dad. Is this a sign of growth arrest? My kidneys are only 10.1cm in length (right one); 9.86 (left one) on ultrasound. I think this indicates some kidney problem. Also left one should be larger. Do you have any idea of the exam that could be used to look for renal scarring?

i believe that my testicles did not grow normally during late childhood and puberty; could this be due to overall growth arrest (age 10 to 11); and an ensuing lack of LH/FSH signaling due to kidney problem? Sort of like the renal insufficiency acted as an endocrine disruptor? This would explain a lower testosterone level. Isn't it true that testosterone increases growth hormone secretion during puberty. This might be why I grew so little during puberty?

I basically went through a somewhat normally puberty but with a lower testosterone level then I should have had.
I feel I did not fully complete virilization during puberty because my body never had very testosterone levels (except as an infant).

My ring finger is the same size as my index finger ; but for my dad and brother their ring finger is longer. This might indicate a lack of androgens during puberty? I have a picture of me as young child ; even as late as 14 and the ring finger is longer.

Also my adam's apple is quite small and definitely compared to my dad and brother. Their voices are deeper.

I am not as hairy as my dad or my brother (even age compared).

I always looked younger then my age which is a symptom of growth hormone deficiency (kidney problem can cause).


I guess if I had seen a doctor like yourself in 1987 what would you have done differently?
How could all these symptoms go undetected?

At this point it is most likely too late for growth hormone. Would their be any use of taking other hormones such as testosterone; HCG or FSH injections?
I have stopped growing in height but I would like to complete puberty.

Your suggestions are appreciated. I can get pretty much any medicine I need; and any blood tests; but very few doctors locally understand and paediatricians don't normally speak to adults.